5 Steelin' a License
by SteeleHere44
Summary: Story 5. Miss Holt and Mr. Steele are not working together. Or they are?
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer:

Remington Steele and its characters are owned by MTM. No copyright infringement intended. For entertainment purposes only.

Set after Season 4. Season 5 doesn't exist in my universe.

Chapter 1:

The class was starting to get boring. It was always the same thing; the room almost in darkness, except for the light coming from the ceiling lamp. All the students piled up in the same place. A body on the autopsy table surrounded by the most excellent pupils knowing every answer, even those not asked yet, an unpleasant smell invading everything. And a weird doctor playing professor was the last addition to the surreal situation. Or maybe it was an odd professor playing doctor; nobody cared about that.

Forensics wasn't the most enjoyable subject, but it was impossible to avoid. It was the last one until the thesis, and it was the last class. The topic of the day was 'human lethal intoxications,' an interesting topic since the origin of mankind. A lot of wars and murders could have been avoided in history if the knowledge had been developed before. From the Borgia Family to Romeo and Juliet, everything could have been at least, less complicated. But what was history without those bitter performances? Just a retelling.

If there was one thing that he loved the most, it was the hidden story behind the crimes in history. There was always a connection between love, betrayal, passion, or power; and an art masterpiece's disappearance. Just the mere thought of that helped him to survive until the end of the class. He wasn't a fan of forensic affairs, so he remained as far as he could from the autopsy table. He never understood what the attraction of forensics was.

He was thinking about that when he noticed a woman slyly staring at him. She took her eyes off of him when she realized he was looking at her. He tried to return to his previous thoughts, but then he looked back at her, and her eyes were again on him. He gave her a crooked smile, and she didn't dare to look at him back until the end of the class.

The torture was finishing, with only ten minutes left, when the professor began his last round of questions. Everyone asked was giving a correct answer. It was a monotonous hum.

"If the symptoms are nausea, drooling, vomiting, slow pulse, low blood pressure, diarrhea, seizures, coma, and death; and the symptoms take about six hours to begin; What do you think had been used to kill somebody,?" asked Professor O'Higgins.

"One of the options could have been rhododendrons and azaleas," said one of the students standing in front of the body.

"Good answer, Mr. Stewart. And what would it be if the symptoms were a gradual weakening of the muscles and intense pain as the muscles deteriorate and die? Though sight might be lost, the mind remains clear until death occurs. Symptoms begin in thirty minutes, though it takes several hours to die," asked the doctor. This time nobody was brave enough to answer. The man looked up through the pile of students. There was a man there that was always in silence. Why I don't give him a try, he thought. "You, the tall man beside Meyers," said the professor.

He hoped that the professor wasn't talking to him, and he just turned his head looking for someone tall near him. But he was the only tall one beside Meyers. The question was for him. Hesitant, trying to find some time to elaborate a convincing answer, he looked sideways, to the woman standing beside him and said, "I suppose you are talking to me…"

"Yes sir, I am talking to you. Do you have an answer?"

The woman that had been staring at him before, Caroline Meyers was doing it again. But this time, seeing that he wasn't prepared to give a response, took pity on him and whispered some kind of help. "Ahem, Sherlock…" she said almost trying to make a joke on him. Everybody near them, understanding the whole situation, endured a chuckle.

He looked at her, not knowing if it was a joke or the woman was cynical. But then he caught the meaning of her words and said, "My instincts tell me that with all the symptoms you described, professor, the victim could have been poisoned with hemlock," he stated.

"You're correct, young man. Good answer. And your name is?" he asked.

With a slight and compelling smile, he answered, "Steele, sir, Remington Steele."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2:

Miss Holt walked from her office to the reception area without taking off her eyes from the file. "Mildred, did Mr. Steele call?" She took a look at her watch. "He has been out all morning. I need him to put his signature on these contracts. When did you say he would be back?"

"He is at the morgue, Miss Holt. Today is his last day in forensics. He did it until the end!" answered the secretary with enough enthusiasm to take Miss Holt's mind out of his long absence from the office.

Laura looked at the secretary, and rehearsing a smile, sat on Mildred's desk. "I can't believe he did it until the end. He is going to have his license at the end of the year. Who would have guessed he would do it?"

"And he seemed to enjoy the whole training. I didn't think it was going to be like that. He didn't seem like the kind of student to keep things in order until the end of the year."

"Maybe he is enjoying being the real Remington Steele more than he was expecting. He is fulfilling a schedule, going to his classes, and trying to help with paperwork," said a thoughtful Laura.

"Well, Miss Holt, I think he is trying to behave. At some point, the day would come that this was going to happen. "

Laura gave Mildred a smiling, silent look, and without saying a word, she returned to her office. Once there, she sat on her chair and spent a long time looking at a picture of them she kept on her desk while thinking about the changes that were driving Mr. Steele directly to be the figure she envisioned when she decided to start her game, four years back. Who would have guessed that the fury Laura felt when she discovered that her fictional boss had acquired the capacity to talk and walk, would turn into what she was feeling now. She had been trying to fight this feeling for a long time, but realizing he was truly changing, she allowed him to enter slowly into her soul. The sensation was magnificent. He was a loving and generous man. She suspected he would be like that almost from the beginning, but she also suspected the risky hidden part of his soul was destined to shadow everything at the same time. She had not been able to trust him until recently. They had a conversation during a case, in which both of them realized that trust was beginning to show shyly and that it was turning slowly into a permanent feeling between them. That didn't make all her fears disappear as if by magic, but it helped a lot. Once he could feel himself in a secure harbor, some signs started to appear, more frequently every time. She remained watching those signs, keeping some reservations about them. But as time passed by, she didn't feel those reservations so often. They were growing up together. And it felt good.

Suddenly, some voices from his office returned her to reality. He was back. She grabbed the contracts and went to his office to meet him.

Mr. Steele was placing his study materials on the desk when he felt her presence behind him. He turned around slowly, "Good afternoon, Laura. What a nice surprise! I suspected my late arrival was going to deprive myself of your adorable company today," he ended his salutations giving her a peck on her cheek.

It was not the welcome she had in mind, but she let it go, still intrigued. "Good afternoon to you too. How was your last day at school?" she asked him like a mother would ask her child.

"Splendid, Laura! It was a remarkable day, full of joy and unforgettable memories. We had our last forensics class early in the morning, and after that, we received our final project to present as a thesis."

"Are all those papers your final project instructions? Maybe we could take a look through them before lunch. When is your due date?" she asked.

"Well, we have two weeks to work on our final project. Then we have to make a presentation, and if we do it right, we get our license." He answered.

"Why are you talking in the plural? What do you mean with we?"

"We have to work on our last task in teams, Laura. One of the most difficult challenges a Private Investigator faces is to work as a part of a team," he answered dryly.

Laura had the suspicion that she was missing something. "Just to be communicative, who is the other part of your team, Mr. Steele?" She gave him a murderer gaze.

"You said something about lunch? I'm starving. Why don't we let the topic rest until tonight? I am exhausted and out of ideas right now Miss Holt. We have a reservation at Domenico's for 1:30. Are you ready to join me?" asked in a hurry a noticeably worried Mr. Steele.

Laura was still in her previous position, her arms crossed on her chest, "The name, Mr. Steele…"

Realizing there was no escape, he said, almost in a whisper, "Meyers, Miss Holt." He was looking everywhere but at her.

"Is Meyers he or she, Mr. Steele?" asked a suspicious Laura.

"Do you promise you are still having lunch and dinner with me, Laura?"

"I think you've just answered my question, Mr. Steele," she said barely resigned. "And why do I feel this female colleague of yours is nothing similar to a non-beauty, not interesting at all, Mr. Steele?" she said sarcastically.

Then he took her by her waist in a secure movement and pulled her against him. "You know the only beauty I am interested in is you, Laura."

"You do mean that, do you?" She was entranced by his blue eyes when the feeling of his breath inches away from her, was announcing a truce in front of them.

"Do you want proof, just to be clear, Miss Holt?"

"It would be welcomed…just to be sure about your statement, you know…"

He pulled her towards him, but when their lips were almost touching, Mildred opened the door, right on cue. They startled and separated their bodies, still feeling a bit embarrassed even after all these years.

"Lunch, Miss Holt?" asked Mr. Steele, giving her a cue to leave.

"Lunch, Mr. Steele. Hold the fort Mildred. We'll be back for our 3:00 o'clock meeting." And after grabbing her purse, they left the office, their focus on resuming their last truce intent in the limo, this time successfully.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3:

They had a nice lunch, and the ugly topic remained stuck at the office. They talked about the new case, and after a good meal, they got back to duty. The referred scheduled case didn't look like a difficult one. With the information they'd received in advance, they knew it was about a man that had died about two months ago. Officially, by supposed natural causes, but the widow suspected that the causes weren't natural and that there was something hidden behind it all. It was almost a routine case.

"Why do you think your husband was murdered, Mrs. Pollack?" asked Miss Holt.

"Edmund was a healthy man, Miss Holt. He played sports regularly and never smoked. He had a little issue with his heart, but keeping it under treatment, the doctors said that he was out of danger. But then he suffered a massive heart attack. The doctors couldn't do anything. Are you going to help me, Mr. Steele?" The woman asked desperately.

"We seem to have a problem here, Mrs. Pollack. I am not able to follow your case as close as you want me to do it at the moment. I have prior commitments to attend. We can take your case, and my associate, Miss Holt, will be in charge if you agree. She is with no doubt the best PI in LA. I'll be supervising the development of the matters, but she would be in charge. If you agree with that, we can start tomorrow," stated Mr. Steele.

"If you say she is as good as you, I agree."

"She is more than good as me. You'll receive the most valuable treatment from our agency, Mrs. Pollack. Set a meeting with our secretary, let's say next week, and count on your case as already started."

"Ok, thank you, Mr. Steele, Miss Holt," said the woman.

"See you next week, madam," said Mr. Steele.

They shook hands, and once Mrs. Pollack was already out of his office, Laura closed the door and choosing her words carefully, told him, "It looks like I am going to run this case alone, like in the old, old times. I don't know if I remember how to do it."

He looked at her, "Don't underestimate yourself, Laura. You are perfectly capable of working alone on this case and have it resolved in a blink. You know that."

"That's not what I mean. I don't know if I remember how to run a case without you by my side. It will be different. Something will be missed."

"Only two weeks, Miss Holt. Enjoy the case. After that, you'll never have the chance to run a case without my shadow close beside you. Although I'll miss working with you too, we'll be sharing lunch and dinner, and sooner than we guess, all this will be over."

She hated to admit that she was going to miss him and that she was jealous of him working on a team with another woman. And she was terrified that her old doubts, the ones she supposedly buried, would get out and make her existence more miserable. But there wasn't another option available.

After a sight, she said, "Ok. Let's start to work. Is your invitation to dinner still up?"

"Sure it is, Laura. See you at 9:00? What kind of food are you in the mood for Miss Holt?"

"Any kind of food including one of your masterpieces and you will be perfect." She walked to where he was standing, and kissed him sensually, just as a reminder of things to come. Her departure from his office left him distracted and certainly not in a mood to start dueling with duty.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4:

Laura left the office and went straight to the Country Club where Mr. Pollack used to play tennis before his heart attack. She tried to speak with the man that had been in charge at the Club House that fateful day, but it was his free day. Then, she decided to make a detour through the facilities, to get a first impression about the members of the club routines.

She began at the courts, just because the changing rooms were not allowed for a feminine investigator. She should have dragged the male detective of the agency there just for once, to get a glimpse about the men's private conversations running in there, she thought. Maybe another time. There was a booth beside the courts, to check in before playing and where the reservations were taken. The name set in the records was the name of the player making the reservation, Pollack this time, so she would have to investigate further who the other three players were at the court the day he died after his match. She remembered that Mrs. Pollack told them her husband liked to play in the morning, through business hours, because there were fewer players on the courts, and it felt quieter. She also said that he always played with the same gentlemen, although she didn't know them personally.

After a stroll all around the courts, Laura decided, following the tennis players routines, to go to the bar. Once in there she sat at a table near the windows, the great sightseeing on full display. The waiter arrived to take her order, and she asked for iced tea and a piece of cake. This order would give her some time to watch and listen while posing as a member of the club. She saw that almost every player went to the bar after their matches. It looked like everyone knew everyone in there. It was a perfect place to meet new friends, with tennis as an excuse, and to go unnoticed by others on any kind of intent. When her order arrived at the table, she decided to ask some questions to the waiter.

"Excuse me; have you been working here for a long time? I am looking for a friend of mine that was a usual player here. I've lost his phone number, and I thought that maybe I would have luck looking for him here," said Laura trying to sound friendly.

"I've worked here for a long time, madam. Maybe if you tell me the name I could help you," said the man with a polite gesture.

"I am looking for Edmund Pollack. We used to play here from time to time a couple of years ago, but then I moved to Santa Barbara, and we lost contact. Do you know him, by any chance?"

"Oh! Mr. Pollack. Don't you know? He had a heart attack right after a tennis match about a month ago. He died on the way to the hospital. It was sad. He was a good man, always very polite and correct. He had a lot of friends here. We all miss him," said the man.

"Oh, no! I didn't know anything about it! I can't believe what you are saying. But he wasn't ill, wasn't he? "

"If he was sick, nobody knew. It was a terrible surprise. Neither his friends nor Mrs. Becker, his usual partner in mixed doubles," said the waiter.

I'd love to talk to some of his friends; would you give me their names, please? I would like to give a call to his wife too. It's so sad!"

"Sure, do you want me to introduce them to you? They are at the table on the other side of the room."

"No, I would not be able to find the correct words right at this moment. Please, just give me the names, and I'll contact them later. Here, I have a pen. Would you write them here?" said a sorrowed Laura.

"Sure, madam," He wrote the names, and after that, he showed her who was who at the table.

After finishing her cake, she realized her work there was done for the day. She'd found some useful clues for a start. It was getting late, and she still had to return fast to the office to get the routines for the next day already settled with Mildred. A unique evening was waiting for her.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5:

"Mildred, I was hoping you'd still be here. I've been working on the Pollack case, and I have some names I want you to investigate tomorrow, first hour. Is Mr. Steele still here?"

"Yes, Miss Holt. He has been locked in his office since you left. His only distraction was a cup of tea I brought him about an hour ago. I think he is trying to put all the things together before starting to work with his project partner," said the secretary.

"I'm going to check on how he is doing. You can go home Mildred, it has been a long day. See you tomorrow."

"See you tomorrow, honey." Mildred didn't have to say anything else. She knew the day was finished for her there. Mr. Steele and Miss Holt would love to spend some time alone at the end of the day checking on their own progress in their respective cases. They'd been doing that for a long time, always finding an excuse to spend more time alone together.

Laura walked to her office, and after leaving her purse and hat, she poked herself through the connecting door, "Mr. Steele… Are you still working? I thought I wasn't going to find you here." Taking a step towards him with her hands entwined behind her back, she approached his desk, where a lot of papers were scattered on it. "Did you figure out something while I was out of the office?"

"Hello, Laura," he said looking up to her. "I think I have figured out a pattern to start. And that's a lot…" Looking at his watch, he realized how late it was. "We must be going now if we want to have dinner at a reasonable hour. Why don't you go to the loft, and I'll meet you there. We could have some pasta along with some red wine… I'll do the shopping and meet you there in about an hour. What do you think?"

"I think it sounds great. See you there." She didn't tell him that she had a surprise waiting for him. This evening would be the perfect occasion to give it to him. They shared a brief kiss, and Miss Holt left the office.

Once he was sure she'd left the agency, he took the paper from his inside pocket and dialed the number. "Hello, Caroline? Steele here."

They ate some salmon ravioli, with mushroom and capers cream sauce, and excellent red wine. They opened the second bottle without noticing that the first one had got empty faster than usual. It was then when Laura felt the perfect moment had arrived. "I've got something for you, and I think it would be better to have you prepared before I bring it here for you to unwrap it."

"Hmm… You've got something for me?" He approached and put his arms around her waist. "You know I love surprises, Laura, especially when you are involved in them. But I dare say for sure that I would love them more if I'd have the chance to unwrap you in them," he pulled her body tightly to him while making their gaze almost electrifying.

"I think I'll bring it here for you to unwrap it. I'd be very pleased just with that for now." She walked away from his embrace barely in time.

Laura went to her bedroom, leaving Mr. Steele dreamily expectant, and after a moment she came back, a big package in her hands. She put it on the table, and looked at him, noticing his disappointment. She'd know right at the moment she said the words that he was waiting for another kind of surprise. The big event was going to happen soon, but without any of them being surprised by the other by any decision. They would know exactly, both of them, the perfect opportunity. It would be the right moment once they wouldn't need to think about a decision surprising the other.

He opened the package with noticeable urgency, as always. It looked like he was afraid the gift would disappear if it took too long for him to open it. He crumpled the paper, and when he discovered what it was, he gave Laura a boyish smile that lightened the dimed room. "Detectives do it with detail? I can't believe you did this, Laura." Here he had a slight flashback about the old Laura.

"I know you'd always been horrified about Wilson's t-shirt. The only way to put a different impression in your mind was giving you the correct one. As you'll become a detective soon, it seemed fair. Just an incentive, you know…"

"And why the box with a lot of free space, may I ask, Miss Holt?" He knew a bright and creative answer was to follow his request.

"Because I hope that once you become a detective, you'd do it with a lot of detail…" she told him as she closed the space between them.

He put his hand under her chin and raised her face to look straight into her eyes, "Count on that, Laura, count on that. You are a wicked detective, you know that?"

"I am just a detective, Mr. Steele. The wicked addition is on you." And just then, they found themselves immersed in a passionate kiss, barely a prelude of the details they would share soon.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6:

Laura arrived at the office full of energy the next day, "Good morning Mildred. Is Mr. Steele in? I can't believe he is here already. It's too early."

"I know, Miss Holt, but he told me he has a meeting at ten to work on his thesis. He wanted to get everything ready before that."

"Is his appointment here, or he is going outside, Mildred?"

"I think his partner will be here by 10:30. He sent me to buy some pastries for later. I was waiting for you to come, to go straight to Dannessen."

"He asked you for pastries? Oh my…" said Laura. "Are they going to work, or enjoy some kind of brunch in his office?" She turned without saying another word, and went to her office, not bothering to wait for Mildred's answer. The door slam could be heard from the other building.

Mildred had been sure this would be Laura's reaction, exactly. She knew her kids very well. When Mr. Steele had asked her about the pastries, she assumed it was the first one of a series of unexpected facts, provoking Miss Holt's rage. It was going to be a long week. Thinking about the two weeks ahead of her at the same time was almost suffocating. "Let's take one day at a time, honey," she told herself.

Laura remained in her office, sitting at her desk, trying to find something to do to put him and his meeting out of her mind. And she wasn't getting anywhere. At some point, she decided to take the files Mildred had left on her desk, and get out of the office without even greeting him. She knew she was wrong behaving like that, but she couldn't help it. She was looking for a pen in Mildred's desk drawers, to leave her a note, when a tall, blonde, beautiful woman entered the office.

"Good morning," she said to Laura, surely confusing her with the secretary since Mildred was outside running his errands. "I am looking for Remington Steele. I'm Caroline Meyers; would you announce me, please?"

"Of course," said a very polite Laura. "Do you want to have a seat? I'll announce you… personally. Would you excuse me?" She stood up from Mildred's desk and slowly walked towards his door. Her heels were almost piercing the rug at every step. Once she opened it, in a sharp voice that froze him, she said, "Your partner is here…Sir. Should I send her in?"

He knew that it wasn't the time to try to slow down things.

"Send her in, please, Laura. Thank you," he answered her without taking his eyes from the paper he was reading. It was the safest movement he could think of. He had been wondering a lot about meeting his school partner at the office because of Laura's reaction. But it would be worse if they were to meet in a different place, and she suspected about their intentions, he reasoned. Laura was a specialist in doing that, although he'd helped her in her training about those attitudes through the years. He'd thought things were different now. At least, he'd supposed that. He'd hoped that.

"Of course…Sir," she answered him while turning to the woman and making a gesture inviting her into his office. Once the visitor had put barely one foot inside, she slammed the door almost catching Miss Meyers's other foot with it. The woman was almost shocked. A second later, Laura opened the door again, and with a sneaky sweet voice, she said, "Sorry, it looks like I woke up with an excess of energy this morning." She politely closed the door for a second time, leaving them alone.

"She seems to have a strong character herself. I'd never guessed that. She looked so small and sweet…" said Caroline.

"She's got a strong character herself indeed, Caroline. But that is part of her charm, believe me. Please, have a seat. I have a few ideas to get started. We have a lot of work to do."

"Let's start, Remington," she answered. The sound of his first name almost paralyzed him. He felt lucky Laura wasn't there...

In the meantime, Miss Holt gathered her things again and left the office, car keys in hand. She would have jumped into the elevator hole if the doors had allowed her to do it to get faster to the garage. She wanted to drive today. It would give her the chance to cool off just a bit.

Laura returned to the Tennis club, hoping to find some of Mr. Pollack's friends. Before looking for them, she went to the bar, asked for some coffee, and started to check Mildred's research. In all the previous agitation at the office, she'd found herself without the usual background investigation done before beginning to work. Once she had everything in her mind, she closed the file and started to look for any of Mr. Pollack's friends around the place. She recognized one as Michael Harrison, got up from her chair, and approached his table. "Excuse me, are you Michael Harrison?"

"Yes, I'm Michael Harrison," he answered.

"I'm Laura Holt, Edmund Pollack's friend. I found out just yesterday what happened to him. May I ask you how it happened? Were you with him when he got sick?"

"A pleasure Miss Holt." They shook hands. "Yes, I was near Edmund when he got sick. It was a tragedy."

Mr. Steele and Caroline were working on their task, putting everything together to start the project. They were assigned Case N° 12, 'Disputed Inheritance.' They had to follow the clues to discover the facts originating the case, the clues hidden behind the events, the way to prove their suspicions, and the final result of the case.

The day ran fast, and Mildred poked her head by her chief office's door to announce her departure. She wasn't sure about leaving the students alone after Miss Holt's outburst in the morning, but she had to get home eventually, and this was just the first day of many…. Her bosses would have to resolve their issues in private, without the help of anyone from the outside. Miss Krebs' day was over, she decided. "I'm going home, chief. See you tomorrow."

"Ok Mildred, see you tomorrow," answered Mr. Steele.

"Is the lady another detective working in your office, Remington?" asked Caroline while reading a paper nonchalantly.

"Actually, Mildred is not a detective yet. She is our secretary," he answered her dryly.

Noticing the word our in his sentence, she deepened her inquiry. "Who is the other detective in the office then?"

Mr. Steele decided then to pinpoint things. "Our real detective here is Miss Holt. She is the best I know, and it will be a real challenge to be on par with her once I get my license."

"I don't suppose it will be that hard," answered Caroline, trying to smooth out things.

"I do not venture to try to find how hard it would be. Working beside Laura, it's a challenge that changed my life. I'm not sure I'd be able to do that to anyone."

"I think everyone has the chance to change another one's life, as long as the opportunity presents itself." She tried to leave an open door there, for another slight future approach.

Sensing their conversation was getting into dangerous territory, he decided to finish it. He checked the time, "It's getting late, Caroline. Perhaps it would be wise to stop for the day and resume our activities tomorrow. Say we meet here after the class. What do you think?"

"It's fine with me," said Miss Meyers. "Do you want to go for a drink to celebrate our advances, Remington?"

"I appreciate your invitation, Caroline, but I have a previous engagement that I wouldn't want to miss, an important one." He stated the last words with a gesture, trying to make her understand that he was not available, and hoping that with that settled, she would stop flirting with him. He hadn't had that feeling before, feeling uncomfortable while flirting with any woman. The need to do it had disappeared some time ago when his relationship with Laura started to flow correctly.

It was going to be a long week, he thought to himself; a long and hard first week.

Laura arrived at the loft after a hard work day. She found the information Mr. Harrison gave her very interesting. After her meeting with him in the morning, she went to the hospital where Mr. Pollack had arrived that fateful day and asked for his medical files. The bureaucracy was stressful. She could only finish her task successfully after Mrs. Pollack signed a document authorizing her access to the medical records.

Once at the loft, she left her purse and files on the counter, opened the refrigerator and grabbed some orange juice. That would be enough. She reclined on the couch, took off her shoes, and closed her eyes, relaxing for a brief moment. She was deciding if reading some of the files before going to Rossmore, or getting some rest would be the most appropriate thing to do before her date with Mr. Steele. She decided to start with the files, to feel less guilty about her prior behavior while sharing some of the finds of her day with him. She didn't know if he thought the same about not working together, or if he was distracted enough to get the fact unnoticed. She was having a hard time. She really needed to get her mind into the files. After two orange juice glasses and some reading already done, she decided to take a shower.

Meanwhile, Mr. Steele was cooking hoping Laura would come for dinner. They didn't make arrangements about it before her abrupt departure from the office. But he was confident that she would need to end the day with him, the same way as he needed to end it with her. The food was almost ready, and all he had to do was to wait for her. He poured himself a glass of wine and reclined on the couch to listen to one of his favorite jazz albums. The fire was on, the lights were dimmed...

Laura arrived as on cue when Mr. Steele decided to close his eyes for a brief moment, thinking strategies to maintain the conversation out of the danger topics.

"Hello," she said leaning on the door frame when he opened it. "I was thinking about coming here to have dinner together. I missed you today…"

"I had the same thought, Laura. I missed you too." She made a step towards him, and he opened his arms for her and kissed her sweetly.

"If this is a prelude about what you've made for dinner, I'll decidedly stay until the end," she told him.

"I count on that, Laura. I have a special dessert for you."

"I'm just enjoying the thought of it."

They closed the door, and the incredible smell coming out from the kitchen lured them there.

The food was delicious, and the chocolate éclair mousse crowned the dinner with honors. Some wine accompanied their conversation until they were in front of the fireplace and Mr. Steele brought the Cognac. He was sitting on the floor, his back resting on the couch. Laura was lying on the floor too, her head on his lap. He was toying with her hair while listening to what she was saying. They talked about the case, and Laura updated him with her last founds at the Tennis Club.

"I spoke with some of Mr. Pollack's tennis partners today. I did it first with Michael Harrison, one of the players who were with him when he got sick. He told me they'd ended the game, and the four players had decided to have a drink at the Club House, as they always did. They went there, and once Mr. Pollack began drinking his beverage, he started to feel unwell. They tried to help him while somebody called the paramedics, but he was getting worst by every second. When the doctor arrived, at last, Mr. Pollack was already unconscious, and all they could do was get him into the ambulance, and run to the hospital in a hurry. He died some minutes after his arrival. I have a copy of his medical records at the loft, but I haven't taken a look at them yet."

"It sounds like he'd suffered a heart attack because of the exercise. Maybe he didn't have any problem before, and his heart failed only that time, but with a big failure," he answered. "Did you find any other useful witness?"

"Actually, I did. I spoke with a man named Albert Hill, another tennis player. He used to play against Mr. Pollack sometimes, but only playing mixed doubles. He played with his wife, while Edmund played with a woman named Joan Becker," said Laura.

"He played with a woman but not with his wife? I can't remember Mrs. Pollack saying that in our meeting at the office," he told her." Maybe Mildred should run a search about her and about a Mr. Becker if there is one."

"I'm telling Mildred tomorrow. I'll try to find something in his medical file too. Maybe there is something there to investigate." Right then, she decided to bring up the topic they'd been avoiding through the evening. It was then or never. "How did things go with your partner? Did you two find something interesting for tomorrow's class?"

"I think we did it decently well." He measured his words with a caliber. "We found our case number, and we started to put things together to develop the investigation."

"I am sorry about my behavior at the office this morning. I shouldn't have behaved like that. It was hard to see Caroline staying there to work with you, and me being the one that had to leave. I'll try to get over it the next time, I promise. I know you are not going to flirt with her. But I hate even the thought of the possibility of her flirting with you. I can't help it." She remained quiet. "We all go a little mad sometimes," she said.

He followed caressing her, and after a brief silence she asked him, "Do you think your case would be more difficult to resolve with a new partner?"

He thought in silence, noticing how direct and sincere she could be about the most challenging things for her. "I would not flirt with anybody but you, Laura. It wouldn't feel right. And it wouldn't be fun. The funny thing about flirting is doing it with the correct person. And that's you, Miss Holt. Don't worry about that, because it won't happen." He kissed her brow and followed stroking her hair.

"You didn't answer my question about your case."

"She is not a new partner, Laura. As I know, I have only one partner, and that's you. Miss Meyers is a colleague assigned to resolve a study case for about only two weeks by a weird professor. I have the hope my real partner will last not just for a couple of weeks but forever, Laura."

That was everything she wanted to hear. The conversation was over for the night, and other more pleasant activities were ready to begin.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7:

The next day started early in the classroom. Professor Van der Velde was supervising the advances in the cases, and taking notes about the choices everyone had made to arrive to conclusions. He looked satisfied with his pupils, and after a quick but exhaustive explanation about the next steps to follow, everybody left the room. Mr. Steele drove Caroline in his car to the office.

Mildred was at her desk. "Good morning, Boss," she said.

"Good morning Mildred. Is Miss Holt in?" he asked.

"Yes, chief. She is in her office. Do you want me to send her to yours?"

"No Mildred, thank you. We'll meet her there."

Caroline didn't understand why they were going to her office instead of his. Just when he opened Laura's office's door, things began to make sense to her. The woman wasn't the secretary. Laura was the other detective. The real one, as he'd put it the previous day.

He walked directly to her side and kissed her lovingly. He had a strategy, to set things clear with Caroline. He wanted her to know, politely, that he wasn't available and that he was committed to Laura. That would stop her advances on him, and at the same time would reassure Laura that he wanted to set things clear in front of Caroline. "Caroline, this is Laura Holt, the alma mater of Remington Steele Investigations."

"Nice to meet you, Miss Holt. You are a legend according to your partner. Mr. Steele spoke only wonders about you."

"Nice to meet you too, Caroline. Maybe you are exaggerating calling me a legend, Mr. Steele," said Laura, slightly embarrassed.

At that moment, Mr. Steele took advantage of the situation and decided to flirt with Laura right in front of Caroline's eyes. "She is my favorite legend, and I have the pleasure to work with her every day. I am a lucky man." He stated his words smiling at Laura.

"You are a lucky man indeed, Mr. Steele. But don't abuse of your good fortune," said Laura, warning him to stop his flirting in front of the other woman. The other woman, she thought to herself. It sounded good.

"Should we start with our work schedule, Miss Meyers? Let's go to my office. It's just beside Laura's." And then he opened the connecting door. He gestured her to go, and just when Caroline was out of Miss Holt's office, he winked at Laura, who raised her hands up, telling him without saying a word, that she was satisfied with everything he'd done in his little act.

Once the students left her office, Miss Holt resumed the reading of Mr. Pollack's medical file. He had been a patient in that hospital. The day of the heart failure, he arrived there in serious condition. He'd been intubated in the ambulance. The paramedics had put an IV in his arm, and were monitoring his vital signs. The first diagnosis had been a heart attack. Once at the hospital he was sent to the shock/trauma room, where he was injected with some thrombolytic and beta blockers. He'd been there for about an hour while the medical staff tried to stabilize him, but then his heart had stopped. There were some electrocardiograms graphics attached to the file. The final diagnosis was Fulminating Heart Attack.

There wasn´t anything unusual there. The man seemed to be in good condition, but heart attacks don't usually give a warning before their unexpected appearance. To find a different theory, she would have to find something else that could look like a motivation for somebody wanting him dead. She decided she would try again with the man in charge of the booth at the tennis courts. She headed back to the club then, and once there, the court's supervisor told her that Mr. Pollack usually played with three men on Tuesdays, but that he used to play mixed doubles after that match the same day. His female partner was Mrs. Becker, and she was at the Club House at that moment.

Laura arrived at the bar, asked for her, and in a minute she was introducing herself to the woman. "Excuse me, are you Mrs. Becker?" asked Laura. "I'm Laura Holt, and I'm investigating Mr. Pollack's death. May I have a few words with you?"

"Of course; sit down, please," answered the woman.

"For how long did you know Edmund?"

"We knew each other since we were in college. We dated for some time at that point, but it didn't work. We remained friends, though."

"Were you with him the day he died?"

"Yes. I was with him when he started to feel sick. We had just finished our match, and we came to the bar to have a drink. After a few sips, he complained about a pain in his left arm, and suddenly he crumbled to the floor. I asked for help and the bartender called an ambulance."

"Did you notice something wrong with him during the play, or after the game?" asked Laura.

"No, frankly I didn't. He was fine. We won the match, and he played really well that day."

"What was he drinking when he began to feel the pain in his arm?" asked Laura.

"I think he was finishing his iced tea bottle. We'd asked for some beers once we got here. I don't remember seeing anything else on the table."

"Do you remember anything else worth to investigate?"

"No, I don't. Maybe if you give me your business card I can call you if I remember anything else," said Mrs. Becker.

"Of course, here you are. Are you still married?" Laura introduced her question nonchalantly.

"Yes, I am. But my husband doesn't play tennis. You will not find him here. He travels a lot because of his work, but if you need to talk to him, it would be no problem."

"It won't be necessary Mrs. Becker. Thank you for your time."

Laura felt something odd in Mrs. Becker's attitude. The woman looked rueful while talking about her friend. However they'd known each other for a long time, and they'd been still friends, she didn't mention the widow in her speech. Mildred would have to run a search about Joan Becker and her husband.

She arrived back at the office just in time to cross paths with the secretary, who was leaving. "Miss Holt! Mr. Steele left a message for you. He said he'll be picking you up at 8:00 to gout for dinner."

"Where did he go, Mildred?"

"He went to the library, to consult on some bibliography to document his advances on the case, Miss Holt. See you tomorrow, honey."

"See you tomorrow, Mildred," said Laura, following her way. Once she was in her office, she noticed the connecting door was open. She took the chance to look at some of the work the students were making. He had been very fussy about sharing his papers with her. She was sure Mr. Steele was trying to show himself as an efficient and responsible student. But the mystery encrypted in his folders was intriguing her. The files were in a neat pile on his desk. She approached there, put her hand on the upper one, and stopped. She couldn't touch anything else. The intrigue was devouring her from inside. But it was a different feeling than distrust. It was her own indomitable detective energy, what was driving her mad while smelling a case with clues and puzzles to resolve, resting peaceably on his desk. She would have to resist the urge. He deserved that. Finding the force very deep inside her, she returned to her office. It was just at that moment when she noticed the file waiting for her on her desk. A note was attached to it. "Laura, I don't like to work alone. This is a copy of the case I'm working on. I know this is my final exam, but I know how intrigued you might be, wanting to know everything about the case and my advances in it. I'm not asking you for help. It´s just that it feels better if I know you are aware of them. Once the exam is over, we will be able to discuss everything about my choices and schedules in the investigation. Have fun, Detective Holt! RS."

He was reading her like a book. She couldn't help but smile thinking about it. Looking at her watch, she realized she had enough time to take a look at the papers. She sat down, kicked off her shoes, crossed her feet over the desk, and finally, she opened the folder wearing her special smile, the one that appeared on her face every time she started a new case.

Mr. Steele was working on his case at the LA Public Library,. The team had ordered the facts, and they'd arrived at a very detailed development of the case. The first thing they had settled was the death of a man, by natural causes. No family but his wife was to inherit his possessions. The man was a successful businessman, in an excellent economic position. He was almost retiring from his working life. He'd participated in several enterprises, and after several years owning his company, he was ready to sell it. Mr. Steele had a lot of books opened, trying to figure out what kind of business the man owned. That was one of the mysteries to solve. They had been given some clues to find that. Several hours had passed since his arrival. He was in the middle of his investigation when he felt his limbs were getting numb. He stretched them, and took a look at his watch. It was getting late. He finished his notes, and returned the books to the librarian.

Laura was driving the Rabbit on her way to the loft when a red light stopped her. It was a warm afternoon, and the top was down. Another car stopped beside her. Inside, she noticed a couple having a heated discussion. As they had the windows opened, she participated involuntarily, hearing part of their argument. They were talking about their children, and money, and responsibility. It was not the way Laura had in mind to drive home. She wanted to relax before dinner and slow down a bit. But now, everything she had in her mind was the unknown couple's discussion repeating again and again.

She arrived at the loft, had a shower, and got herself ready just in time for Mr. Steele's arrival. He came upstairs, "Good evening, Laura. You look beautiful. Are you ready? Fred is waiting for us. Let's go" he said.

"Good evening to you too." And she gave him a quick kiss. "Where are we going?"

"I have a reservation at Chef Molière. A friend recommended it."

"It sounds good. Let's go, Mr. Steele. I'm starving."

Once at the restaurant, after studying their menus, he asked her about her day. "Did you find anything new about the case?"

"I went to the club, looking for Mrs. Becker."

"Did you find her?" he asked.

"Yes, I was lucky she was still there when I arrived. We talked for a while. She is a fine woman. She used to play doubles with Mr. Pollack. They knew each other from college. She was with him when he got sick," said Laura. "We talked about the day he died. She was pretty sad. I don't know why, but I have the feeling that something else was running between the two of them aside from the tennis partnership. I wouldn't say they were having an affair, but maybe they had been more than friends at some point in their lives."

"That puts her into the case, not as a witness, but as a possible suspect. Did you ask Mildred to run a search about her?"

"I left her a note this afternoon. She was leaving the office when I returned from the Tennis Club. I asked her to run a search about Mrs. Becker and her husband."

"Her husband? Is there a Mr. Becker, indeed?

"We'll see what Mildred finds tomorrow." Just then their order arrived, and work was replaced by other more pleasant topics from then on.

Once dinner was over, they decided to have a stroll and to go back to Rossmore walking. The night was warm, and they were in the mood for a romantic walk. Mr. Steele tapped the limo roof twice, and Fred's work night was over. They started their walk hand in hand, but after a few steps, they were attracted to the other one like magnets. He put his arm over Laura's shoulders, and she put hers around his waist. It was noticeable how well they fit together in every situation.

"I found an interesting folder on my desk this afternoon," said Laura, breaking the silence.

"Hmm, remind me to warn Mildred about keeping the order in the office. I think she is confused about who is the boss here," he answered, smiling at her.

"I think she is keeping the files in order very well, Mr. Steele. And she is not at all confused about who is the boss at the office."

"I think I am a bit confused myself about that sometimes. I can't blame her if…"

She realized then that he wasn't going to talk about the file. He had left it on her desk only because he wanted her to be a part of everything in his life. She interrupted him, "Thank you."

"Thank you," he answered stopping their steps, pulling her towards him to kiss her. They resumed their walk without talking anymore, just enjoying the sweet silence of the night and the feeling that as time passed by, the need for words was getting less urgent.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8:

The following morning found Mildred alone in the office, searching for the information Miss Holt had asked her in the note. She was in the middle of the task when the phone rang. "Remington Steele Investigations," she answered.

"Remington Steele, please." A female voice was at the other end of the line. "I'm Caroline Meyers, his co…"

"Mr. Steele is not at the office. May I help you?" interrupted Mildred.

"Please tell him to call me back. I have some news about our case that I want to share with him."

The words our and share didn't sound correct to Mildred's ears. She didn't like her boss's school partner. She felt the woman was ready to jump on him like a panther on its prey.

"Do you want to tell me the news so I can pass them along to him, Miss Meyers?"

"No, thank you. I'll do it myself. Please tell Mr. Steele to call me back. Thank you." And then she ended the call.

Mildred was putting the receiver in the cradle with displeasure when Miss Holt opened the agency's door.

"Good morning Mildred," said Laura, and looking to the mail on the desk asked, "Who was on the phone?"

"It was Mr. Steele's school partner, Miss Holt." She didn't explain anymore, trying to mention the woman to Miss Holt the less possible.

Laura left the mail on the desk guessing the secretary's intentions, and after an impatient sigh, she asked, "What did she want, Mildred? Out with it!"

"Mrs. Meyers wanted to talk with Mr. Steele about some advances on their case, Miss Holt."

"They are supposed to meet here in the afternoon. Can't she wait?"Laura said.

"I don't know. I offered to pass the message, but she refused. She wanted the chief to call her back," said the secretary.

"I think I know what kind of advances are on her schedule, Mildred. And I suspect they are remotely about the case." And changing her bold face for a worried one, she asked, "Do I look desperate?"

"You look fine, Miss Holt. But if I'd had no confidence in the chief, I would say that she is dangerous. But you don't have to worry. He wouldn't do anything to hurt you. He cares a lot about you. You know that."

"I know, Mildred. And I agree with you. I trust him. The one I don't trust it's her. Only a week and a half to go…" She sighed again. "Let's start with the day. Do you have the things I asked you yesterday?"

"Yes, Miss Holt. I am still working on them. I have Mr. Becker's information, and I'll bring you Mrs. Becker's file once I have it. Do you want some coffee?"

"Please, Mildred. Thank you." Laura walked into her office and started to read the file. Mr. Joseph Becker was a businessman, as his wife had said, and he was the sales manager of an average company. He traveled through 3 states to check the employees, visiting clients and looking for new ones. It wasn't usual to find a manager doing the work of a salesman. But it looked like the man used to work that way, and the company liked it. He'd been working for the same company for almost 20 years. He'd married his wife about 22 years ago, and they had two sons together. No criminal records, bank accounts showing nothing unusual, and no family aside from his wife. He seemed to be a straight man.

Just when Laura was finishing with her file, Mildred came into her office with the coffee and the other record. "Take a look to this one, Miss Holt. I think you'll find something interesting on page 4."

Laura opened the file, and fighting against herself to go straight to that page, she started at the beginning. Mrs. Joan Becker was the same age as her husband. She had a degree in History and had married him a year after she graduated. No criminal records, bank accounts shared with Mr. Becker, nothing hidden. Then, she arrived at page 4. She had two sons with her husband, but she'd had a baby, that she gave up for adoption when she was in her last year in college. That information sent Laura's wires into action. "Mildred, would you come here for a minute, please?" she asked the secretary through the intercom.

Mildred, who was looking at her from the door, answered, "I am here, Miss Holt. Did you read it?"

"Yes, I did. Is there any way to know what happened with that baby?"

"I don't think it, Miss Holt. You know how hard it could be to find that. I don't know if we can get the information without a court order."

"Then, the only chance we have is to ask her about it. Mrs. Becker told me that she and Mr. Pollack dated when they were in college, but she didn't tell me when they stopped dating. That baby could have been his. That would change everything. If Edmund Pollack and Joan Richardson had a baby together, there is the possibility of another Edmund Pollack heir in addition to Mrs. Pollack. Mildred, please call her and arrange a meeting for tomorrow, if it's possible."

"Ok, Miss Holt. I'm on my way."

"Morning, morning, morning…"

"Good morning chief. The paper is on your desk. I'll be in a minute with your tea."

"Splendid, Mildred! You are an angel. Is Miss Holt in her office?" he asked.

"Yes. She is working on the Pollack case. We found something interesting, boss." But when she raised her eyes, she found herself talking alone. Laura's office door was closing...

"Hmm… I see you came early to start with your duties, as always. Do you think there will ever come a day with you arriving at the office at a respectable hour? We ended late yesterday. You are the boss here." He sat on the desk, in front of her.

She was reclined in her chair, staring at him in silence. They'd had the same conversation almost every day for four years. And she was still arriving early, and he was still arriving late. But this time she was ready to say something about the matter. "Mr. Steele, we say the same words every morning. It seems neither of us is ready to let the other win the argument. Why don't we make a truce, and allow each other to come to the office at the hour that seems appropriate to each one? In that way, we can start our workday without losing all this time in things leading us nowhere?"

"I adore you when you play practical, Laura." He approached her, took her face in his hands, and gave her a kiss that left her without any thought about work in her mind.

"I love when you are practical, too," she whispered to him, feeling exhilarated.

"Lead the work, Miss Holt." And standing up, he left her office asking the secretary, "Am I ready to start my work day, Mildred?"

"Your tea is on your desk, Chief…"


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9:

Mildred came to Mr. Steele's office and gave him the message. "Miss Meyers called this morning looking for you, chief. I told her that I would tell you what she needed, but she wanted to tell you herself. She asked for you to call her back."

"It's ok Mildred. I have the number." He was reading the paper, leaning back in his chair, with his feet on the desk.

"How are you two working together boss?" asked the secretary.

Knowing that she was trying to get anything out of him, he answered dryly without taking his eyes from the paper, "We are finding our clues in time Mildred. If we work at the same speed that we worked until now, I think the case will be solved by the weekend."

"I'm glad, chief. Miss Holt is missing working with you. She will kill me if she knows that I'm telling you, but know what?"

She caught his interest with her last words. He peered over the paper at her, and after looking both ways, he asked her, "What, Mildred?"

"Miss Holt told me that she trusts in you, but she is having a hard time seeing you working with that woman because she doesn't trust in her." She gave him a warning gaze.

"You know what, Mildred?" he told her sounding like sharing a secret with her.

"What?" asked Mildred putting all her wires into action.

"I knew that already. Miss Holt did tell me that." And then he winked at her.

"Oh, boss…It was more fun some time ago when you two were playing cat and mouse here. There was always something juicy to take out from you two. Now, there's nothing. Nada. It's starting to get boring. But I rather like you two together. I think I'll have to find another way to look for fun," she said walking back to the reception area.

The meeting with Mrs. Becker had been scheduled for the next day. With that already settled, Laura decided to make a visit to the hospital in the meantime.

Once she arrived there, she asked the man at the reception desk, "Excuse me, sir, I need to talk with Dr. Linley. Do you know where I can find him?"

"He is working on the second floor right now. Take the first elevator, and ask for him there," answered the receptionist.

She followed the instructions and finally found him there. "Good afternoon, Dr. Linley. I'm Laura Holt, Private Investigator. I would like to ask you some questions about Edmund Pollack's death."

"Go ahead, Miss Holt. I have a few minutes before going to work again," he answered her while walking through the corridor.

"Well, it looks like he died because of a massive heart attack. But he was a healthy man. Does that happen usually?"

"Heart attacks are not scheduled, Miss Holt. Sometimes people have some warnings about them, and sometimes they don't. Sometimes the attack is fulminating, and sometimes it is not. It depends on a lot of factors."

"Would you mind explaining some of them to me, please?"

"That would take some time. Follow me to my office, please. There are some pictures there that can be useful."

They went to his office, and after some clarifying explanations, Laura thanked him and left. She had found another piece of the puzzle. The full image was starting to develop.

Mr. Steele was working with Caroline in his office, and Mildred was on guard, waiting for Miss Holt. She wasn't going to leave the agency, with those two working alone in his office. The secretary had a bad feeling about the woman, and she didn't want to take a risk. Mildred's tasks were over for the day, and she was ready to leave. But she thought that, as a favor to Miss Holt, she would try to have a glimpse about what was happening inside there. She thought about knocking on the door, just to look polite, but then she decided that she didn't want, necessarily, to look polite. She wanted to look aggressive, to make that evil woman think twice about attempting an advance on him. She opened the door with such energy that Mr. Steele jumped in his chair. He was working at his desk, and the woman was reading, on the couch. There was a safe distance between them. "Excuse me chief, do you want some coffee?" she asked him, not giving even a look to Caroline.

"Why, Mildred…you are energetic today… Caroline, would you like some coffee?" he asked.

"Sounds good to me, with cream and sugar, please," Caroline answered Mildred.

"I'll have some tea, Mildred. Thank you."

Miss Krebs closed the door and went to deal with her chief's order. The panther was behaving this time. But maybe it was because she knew they weren't alone yet. She wouldn't give her the chance to change the setting. Once Caroline's coffee was on the table, and Mr. Steele thanked her for his tea, Mildred left the room but didn't close the door completely. She left it barely ajar. In that way, she was able to listen to their conversation. She sat on her chair and carefully started to work on her surveillance mission.

Sometime later, Laura arrived at the office, and noticing Mildred sitting on her chair, almost perched to Mr. Steele's door, she approached silently to the secretary and slightly touched her shoulder. Mildred jumped in shock. "Miss Holt! I didn't hear you coming!" she said in an agitated whisper.

"That is, Mildred, because you were… distracted?" Laura told her sarcastically. The secretary followed her to her office. Once there Mildred explained the situation to the detective. "I didn't want to leave until you arrived, Miss Holt. I don't like to leave him alone with that woman. I offered them something to drink, and then I left the door barely opened, you know… just in case."

"We don't need to do that, Mildred. We trust in him, don't we?"

"Yes, Miss Holt. We trust in him, but we don't trust her. Why don't you go inside there just to say hello? She will behave if she knows you are in the office next door."

"Ok, Mildred. I'll go in there, I'll say hello, and then I'll return to my office, and you'll return to your home. See you tomorrow, Mildred."

"See you tomorrow, Miss Holt."

Laura left her belongings on the desk, and after thinking for about one and a half seconds, she felt that Mildred's idea wasn't bad. She opened the connecting door and greeted the two people in there. "Hello Mr. Steele, Miss Meyers… How are things going? Any advance?" She decided at that minute that she would try to enjoy the moment, and sitting on his desk, as it was her routine while managing reunions with clients, she decided to play teacher. "Did you find something interesting today?"

"Actually, I think we did," responded Caroline trying to look smart. "We have the facts in order, we discovered the clues hidden behind the facts, and we are trying to figure out the killer's modus operandi in the case. We are getting close," she bragged.

"I'm sure you do, Miss Meyers," said Laura with irony. "What about you, Mr. Steele? Did you find anything interesting?"

He felt some cold running on his back. "Actually, yes Miss Holt, I did. I found that today would be our last day not working together. As I presume, our work will be done in about two hours, and then we will have to write our conclusions separately. I am closer to become a detective doing it with detail." He winked at her.

Laura smiled at him. "Right answer Mr. Steele." She stood up and left the room. "I'll be in my office if you need me."

Later, at Mr. Steele's apartment, they were eating Chinese food on the couch, and talking about the Pollack case.

"What did you find with that doctor?" asked Mr. Steele.

"I asked him about heart attacks, and he explained that a heart attack occurs when one or more of the arteries supplying your heart with oxygen-rich blood, the coronary arteries, become blocked. Another cause of a heart attack is a spasm of a coronary artery that shuts down blood flow to part of the heart muscle. Drugs, such as cocaine, can cause such a life-threatening spasm. Heart attacks can also occur if blood flow to the heart is severely decreased, in situations such as very low blood pressure, like a shock. The heart attack risk factors include age and stress, and Mr. Pollack was in the danger zone with those. Tobacco or illegal drug use can also cause a heart attack, but he wasn´t a smoker or an addict. High blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, family history of heart attack, and lack of physic activity and obesity are other causes, which is not the case for Mr. Pollack."

"Mr. Pollack had a heart attack after a hard exercise routine. That would explain it."

"Remember we were talking about Mrs. Becker and a possible Mr. Becker? Mildred found another interesting thing. There is a Mr. Becker, and he seems to be a good man, nothing out of order in his file. But we did find something useful in her file. She had a baby when she was in college," said Laura. "She gave it up for adoption."

"Well, maybe she was too young to be a mother."

"Maybe, but she didn't mention anything about that in our meeting."

"Laura, the woman is not going to reveal all her deepest secrets to the first private investigator that crosses her path."

"Mildred scheduled a meeting with her for tomorrow at the office. Do you think it's possible for you to be there?"

"I think it is. We need to get a few answers from her," said Mr. Steele.

"I like you talking in plural this time, Mr. Steele. It sounds correct, the use of the word we, when the members of the team are you and me," said Laura, giving him a sweet smile.

"I love working with you, Mr. Steele. It feels good, like home."

"Welcome home, Miss Holt…"

"Welcome home, Mr. Steele…"


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10:

They were at his office, getting ready for the meeting when Caroline Meyers came into the reception area. Mildred couldn't believe she was there again.

"Good morning Miss Meyers. What brings you here this morning? I thought your work with Mr. Steele was finished," Mildred said seriously.

"Good morning Miss Krebs. I have a few questions about my conclusions about the case that I'd like to discuss with Mr. Steele. Would you announce me, please?"

"Mr. Steele and Miss Holt are ready for a meeting scheduled to start in about ten minutes. I don't think they'd have enough time for you today, honey."

"It seems you know them well enough to give an answer for them without even consulting. How would you know it's not important enough to ask them? Oh…yes, you have been the secretary for years…" said Caroline sarcastically.

"It's not the years, honey. It's the mileage. Raiders of the Lost Ark, 1981", answered Mildred.

Just at that very moment, Laura and Mr. Steele came out of his office, confusing the female voice with Mrs. Becker's. "I see you are instructing Mrs. Meyers on the film arts, Mildred," said Mr. Steele.

"Good morning Caroline, what are you doing here?" asked Laura nonchalantly.

"I was having doubts about my conclusions, and I thought to stop by for a while to talk about them with Remington," said Caroline.

"I'm afraid that Mr. Steele is not available at the moment, Miss Meyers. We have a meeting in about…five minutes. You can reschedule with Mildred if you want. I know she will find a little hollow in Mr. Steele's agenda next week. Would you excuse us?" said Laura savoring the moment and making Caroline realize that she was intruding in her domain.

At that very moment, Mrs. Becker arrived into the reception area. When she saw Caroline there, she stopped dead. "Caroline, what are you doing here?" she asked.

"Do you know each other?" asked a surprised Laura giving a sided glance to Mr. Steele.

"Yes, we know each other," answered Caroline, with a hint of fire in her voice. "I think I'll come back at a better moment." She turned herself and left the office.

Everybody remained in silence for a moment.

"Please, come into my office, Mrs. Becker." Mr. Steele made a gesture for her with his hands, and she started to walk. Once there, and after a brief introduction, they began the meeting.

"Your secretary said you needed to talk with me again, Miss Holt?" asked Mrs. Becker.

"When we were starting our investigation about Mr. Pollack, your name popped up. You might suspect why," said Laura.

"I know why. You discovered it. I tried to leave that part of my life behind me. I'm not very proud of my own behavior, you know. We were young, and we had our whole life ahead of us. I got scared. Edmund never knew. He graduated from Stanford and returned to his town. Was then when I discovered I was pregnant. I didn't want him to know. I took the full responsibility for the matter, and after the baby was born, I gave her up for adoption. I didn't even want to see her. It's a decision that had tormented me all my life." She paused then staring at the floor.

Laura was noticing how deeply affected Mr. Steele was, so she decided to be the one leading the meeting. "You said you never told him? Even later, years later?"

"No, I didn't. I didn't give him the chance to participate in the decision, and after the years, I didn't want to make him feel guilty about my mistake, knowing that he had a child, but he'd lost the chance to know her."

"Have you ever tried to find your daughter, Mrs. Becker?" asked Mr. Steele.

"Yes, I have tried. But I did it late. I found Andrea three years ago. But she is dead now. She passed because of heart disease. I felt guilty of that too, you know?"

"How could you be guilty about somebody's death because of heart disease?" asked Laura.

"Because her death was as a consequence of a massive heart attack. The same disease her father had suffered. She was only 23 years old when she died."

Silence invaded the room. Then Miss Holt asked her, "Since when do you know Caroline Meyers, Mrs. Becker?"

"I met her three years ago, after Andrea's death. She was her sister."

Miss Holt and Mr. Steele's eyes met for a brief moment. They would have to talk about that later.

"Just a last question. Does your husband know about you, Mr. Pollack, and the baby?" asked Laura.

"My husband knows about the baby, about Andrea, but he doesn't know about Edmund. We remained as good friends until his death. Do you think we could keep it private? I don't know if I want Joseph knowing that Edmund was the father of my child."

"Your secret is safe with us," said Miss Holt. "I think that this is all we wanted to know, Mrs. Becker. Thank you for coming." They shook hands, and she left the office, leaving both detectives deep in thought about the facts recently revealed.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11:

Mildred came into Mr. Steele's office and found them wholly immersed in their conversation.

"I brought some coffee. You two have been locked in this room for about two hours. Do you need anything else?" she asked.

Miss Holt stared at her, thinking. "I need you to run a search about Caroline Meyers and Andrea Meyers, Mildred. Try to find everything since they were born."

"It will take a while, Miss Holt. Do you need anything else?"

"Try to find anything about Edmund Pollack. Since he left school until the day he died. Look for properties, bank accounts, and stock actions too, Mildred."

"Ok, chief. I'm on my way," said Mildred. She left the office, and after making herself a cup of tea, she sat at her desk and started the required search.

"Why do you think it's necessary to investigate Caroline?" asked Mr. Steele to Miss Holt.

"I didn't like the stare that Mrs. Becker and Caroline gave to each other this morning. I feel they know each other very well, and that they'd had some differences in the past. Since we have Mrs. Becker's file, the part that we need to find is Caroline's, and her sister Andrea." She took a sip of her coffee. "Why do you think it's necessary to investigate Mr. Pollack?"

"As I was deeply impressed by Mrs. Becker's narration, I was wondering why she told her husband almost the whole story, and she hid it from Mr. Pollack. It sounds odd. After all, Mr. Pollack was a friend."

"Maybe she didn't have the courage. But now that you mention it, it sounds odd, indeed."

"What do you say if we go to the Tennis Club and have a nice lunch? I miss spending our lunch time together, Miss Holt," said Mr. Steele.

"Sounds good to me. It'll give us the chance to ask more questions to the staff there. I have a feeling…"

"A feeling about what?" he asked.

"We'll talk about it later, Mr. Steele. I'll ask Mildred to call Fred."

They arrived at the Tennis Club and went directly to the bar. They found a nice table, and Laura saw the waiter coming towards them. "Good Afternoon. Are you ready to order?" asked the man.

"In a minute," said Laura. "But I would like to ask you something before we give you our order. I remember you told me the other day that you've been working here for a long time. Do you know if Mr. Pollack's daughter used to come here to play tennis?"

"Yes, madam. They used to play together, and after that, they always shared a table here with Mrs. Becker. She was a nice lady. It was sad she died too young."

"Thank you," said Laura.

"How did you know that?" asked Mr. Steele.

"Well, it's what I'd call a hunch. I suppose your thought about how odd it was that Mrs. Becker didn't tell the truth to Mr. Pollack aroused my curiosity. If she did tell him, and they did follow a relationship with their daughter, they would have needed a place to meet with her. What better place than this one, full of people distracted over their own tennis play conversations? They would be able to share with her something else they both loved: sports. Remember that Mrs. Pollack and Mr. Becker are not sports lovers. So, they'd felt free and comfortable here."

"Do you think we have a suspect here, Laura? We don't even have a confirmed murder yet, and we already have a suspect? God, you are getting more than good every time," he stated with an air of pride.

"We, Mr. Steele, we are getting more than good. Remember we are a team."

"Indeed, Miss Holt. Indeed."


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12:

They returned to Century City, and Mildred gave them the previously required files. Once they were settled in Mr. Steele's office, Laura took Andrea´s, while Mr. Steele grabbed Mr. Pollack's.

After reading some pages, she rose from her chair and went to her office without even saying a word. Mr. Steele was wondering what she had found. She returned with the file of his case in her hands.

"What do you have there, Miss Holt?" he asked.

"I'm trying to concentrate here. Give me a minute, please. I'll tell you later," answered Laura.

He was starting to get impatient. She was moving her eyes from one file to the other, repeatedly.

"Laura…what have you found?" he asked her, a warning in his voice.

"It looks like Andrea had a sudden heart attack, and she died before arriving at the hospital. They did an autopsy, and they found that she had a congenital malformation in her heart. Andrea didn't know about that until it was too late. The time between when she had the heart attack and when she was dead was about 30 minutes. The paramedics didn't have any chance. Then, I remembered the case you are working on with Caroline. You were finding some clues there about someone poisoned with oleander nectar. The poison is a cardiac stimulator that causes sweating, unconsciousness, respiratory paralysis, and cardiac arrest. It begins acting immediately. The time between the victim's ingestion of the poison and death is almost the same, and the symptoms are similar too."

"But you've just said that the autopsy states that Andrea died because of a congenital malformation in her heart. What makes you think about the poison theory?"

"Because, Mr. Steele, I wasn't thinking about that theory in Andrea's death. Something made me think about it for Mr. Pollack's death."

"I'm afraid about questioning, Miss Holt, as I have his file in my hands and I can't find the connection yet," he said.

"When I read Mr. Pollack's medical file, I found that they did some tests to know if he had some kind of drug in his blood, and they were negative. But in your case, you've said that oleander can be traced only if you look for it in the victim's stomach. So, if you look in Mr. Pollack's file, you will see that they didn't take a sample from his stomach, because after his daughter's death, they knew that he had a congenital malformation, and he was under treatment in that same hospital. They focused on his heart, not looking for a different cause of death in another organ."

"And the supposed killer would have that information, so it was easy to hide the poison behind his illness. I'm getting to your point, Laura. But now I'm getting confused, too. If your assumptions are correct, we have two suspects instead of one."

"I am afraid we do." She pushed the intercom button, "Mildred, get Mrs. Pollack on the phone, please."

"What are you going to tell her?" asked Mr. Steele.

"I'm going to ask her to have a talk with her lawyer to get an order for a new autopsy. I think there are some items to review in Mr. Pollack's death certificate."


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13:

They left Century City, and once in the car, Mr. Steele was having doubts about asking Laura where they were going. She seemed so focused on the case that she hadn't told him their destination. Once she decreased the speed, he allowed himself to make a comment. "Is the City library our final destination?"

"Yes, it is. You came here to follow the investigations about your case, didn't you?"

"Yes, Caroline told me that there were a lot of books with poisoning information there, in fact."

"That's my point, Mr. Steele. We are on the same wavelength. Let's go."

He got out of the car a little worried. Laura was in full bulldog mode. She was always in overdrive once she smelled the end of the case.

They found the information she was looking for as they suspected, and left the building half an hour later.

They decided to make a visit to Caroline, then. Since the traces they were following were similar to the ones Mr. Steele followed with Miss. Meyers in their school case, they were suspecting it would be possible a connection between both of them.

They got out of the Rabbit, and when they were approaching towards Caroline's front door, Laura turned back to Mr. Steele. "Look at that," she said showing him an oleander plant near the porch. "It seems that Caroline really knew something about oleanders after all."

"I am feeling more uncomfortable at every minute, Miss Holt," he answered.

He rang the bell, and after a brief wait, Miss Meyers opened the door. The only person she saw was Mr. Steele, so she greeted him with a touch of style, "Well, hello Remington. You came, at least. I was starting to think that your show at your office was not a show, but a reality. Come in, please."

Just at that moment, Laura, who was leaning her back on the wall beside the door, out of Caroline's sight, turned towards the door and made herself visible. "Good afternoon, Miss Meyers. What a pleasure to find you at home. Can I come in too?"

"Of course, Miss Holt. I didn't realize you were standing there. Please come in, too."

Once inside Caroline's house, they made themselves comfortable, and she offered them something to drink.

"I think I'd like bourbon if you have some," said a nervous Mr. Steele. He felt there was a battle ahead of them, between Laura and Caroline, and he would be the one in the middle to act as a referee.

"I'd like some water, please," said Laura. She was ready to start the game, making the first shot.

"I see you are well trained in the poisons field, Caroline," said Laura.

"Well, I've been learning a lot about that in forensics. Didn't Remington tell you how interesting that class was?" she answered.

"He told me barely a few words about it. Where did you find the books to study the topic?" asked Laura.

Mr. Steele was drinking his bourbon like water at that point. He was feeling the bullets flying closer every second.

"I borrowed them from the city library. Why are you asking me those things? Are you still talking about our school case?"

"No, I'm not. Since when did you know Mrs. Becker, Caroline?"

"I see. We are going to talk about that. I met Mrs. Becker three years ago. My sister Andrea and I were adopted when we were kids. We had a great life, with our parents always taking care of us, and giving us a lot of love. About three years ago, Joan Becker appeared in our lives. She told Andrea that she was her biological mother and that she had been looking for her through all her life. My sister was an incredible person, Miss Holt. She didn't care about the fact that her real mother abandoned her as a baby. She forgave her and started a loving relationship with Joan. But when Andrea died, the doctors said that she could have saved her life if she would have known about her heart condition. Joan was aware of Mr. Pollack's heart condition, and that it was inheritable, and she didn't say a word. I'll never forgive her for that. Maybe a couple of tests and Andrea's luck would have been different."

"Why did you decide to poison Mr. Pollack, Caroline?" asked Laura in an almost icy tone.

"What? What are you implying? Are you crazy? I didn't poison anyone! I'm not a criminal!"

"You have an oleander plant in your front garden, you have the knowledge, and you borrowed a book from the library, with the whole explanation about every kind of poisonous plants that grow here in California," said Mr. Steele, setting himself in Laura's team.

"I did borrow a book from the library, but I returned it after a week. I lost my library card some months ago, and I haven't asked for a new one yet."

"Why didn't you ask for another card yet?"

"Because I didn't need it," answered Caroline.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14:

They were sitting in the Rabbit each one immersed in their own thoughts.

"If Caroline didn't poison Mr. Pollack, the only one left is Mrs. Becker. But she seemed deeply sorrowful when she came to the office. She talked about Mr. Pollack lovingly…" said Mr. Steele.

"That's it!" said Laura.

"What's it?" asked Mr. Steele.

"Remember when Mrs. Becker came to our office and told us about her and Mr. Pollack?"

"Yes, I remember. She told us she discovered she was pregnant once he left Stanford, and that she never told him about the baby… You are a genius, Laura!"

"She did tell him about the baby because when she found Andrea, they used to play tennis together at the club. I think we have to ask some questions to Mrs. Joan Becker, Mr. Steele."

"Let's wait to see what happens with the autopsy results, Laura," he said.

"You are right. Maybe we could talk first with the forensic doctor."

The next day they returned to the hospital and talked with Dr. Linley again. He told them that they were right about their presumptions and that there were traces of oleander in Edmund Pollack's stomach.

"Bingo!" said Laura. "Let's call Mildred at the office and make a visit to Mrs. Becker. I think we have a talk to finish with her."

They talked with Mildred, and she gave them Mrs. Becker's address.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15:

"Miss Holt, Mr. Steele, I wasn't expecting you. I don't have enough time now, maybe we could talk another time," said Joan.

"I think we have to talk now, Mrs. Becker. We should come in," warned Mr. Steele.

They got inside the house, and once there, Laura opened fire. "Why did you tell us that Edmund Pollack didn't know anything about his daughter, Mrs. Becker?"

"Because he didn't," she answered.

"That's not the truth, Mrs. Becker. He did know, and he was in touch with his daughter. We know you played tennis with Andrea and Edmund every week," said Miss Holt.

"How do you know that? Aww… detectives…She told you that, did she?"

"I don't know who are you talking about, Joan," said a calm Laura.

"Caroline! She is playing detective with you two. She was jealous that Andrea found her parents and she didn't. She is trying to incriminate me in Edmund's death because she hates me!"

"I don't think she is trying anything. I think you are the one trying to hide something, Mrs. Becker," said Steele.

"Why did you steal Caroline's library card from her purse, Mrs. Becker?" asked Laura.

"I didn't steal anything from Caroline."

"Maybe you could let us take a look through your books, Mrs. Becker?" asked Steele

"I don't have to let you see anything. You have no right…"

"Why did you poison Edmund's iced tea?" asked Laura.

There was a frosty silence in the room. Then Mrs. Becker answered sadly, "I loved Edmund. I loved him very much…until he pushed me to make the biggest mistake of my life. He didn't want the baby! I wasn't going to give her up for adoption, but he forced me! I missed all my life with my daughter thanks to him. I was going to forgive him after we'd found her, but then she died because of his disease. She didn't deserve to die… He was the one that deserved it."


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16:

After a long wait at the office for Mr. Steele, Laura finally decided to go home. She would wait for him at the loft because the student's list was extensive and the examination was getting longer than she thought it would be.

She was nervous, and every activity to distract her seemed fated to fail. She tried reading, watching TV, and even making an attempt with dinner. But nothing worked. After two hours, she heard a knock on the door. She ran from her bedroom, and crossed the loft in almost two steps. Then, she opened the door and found him standing there; his shirt unbuttoned showing a known t-shirt underneath, his hands behind his back, and a huge smile all over his face.

"I thought I'd find you here, Laura," he told her.

"How did it go?" implored Laura.

He gave her his best-crooked smile, put out his right hand from behind his back, and showed her a box of chocolates. "I assumed you were going to be interested in this….to start with the celebration."

She smiled at him, and then he showed his other hand. "Or maybe you would be interested in this…" and he gave her his diploma.

"You did it!" she told him and jumped in his arms with all the joy that someone could feel when their loved one is living one of the happiest moments of their life.

"We did it," He told her. "If your idea of a fictional boss had not existed, I wouldn't be here with this diploma. We did it, Laura." They were entranced with each other when he ended his words. He came into her loft, and without taking his eyes from her, closed the door behind him. Putting his arms around her waist, he pulled her body against him. Then he stopped…

"Are you going to kiss me, mister detective?" asked Laura.

"I am going to kiss, you, lady detective. And as I am a detective now, I am going to do it with detail…" he wiggled his eyes to her.

"I knew you were fated to be a good detective since the first day I met you. Are you ready to start working on the details, Mr. Steele?" asked a mischievous Laura.

"We have an entire night ahead of us to work on those details, Miss Holt. And I am ready to start, indeed."

"I bet you are, Mr. Steele, I bet you are…"


End file.
